Ravenclaw is Fine
by Luxastuff
Summary: One shot of Lily's sorting


Ravenclaw was fine. Lily was fine with Ravenclaw. Apparently in Ravenclaw students were encouraged to do their best academically and they seemed to be a happy bunch. Or so Lily thought as she walked up to Hogwarts through the caves where the boats had landed. She had only seen a couple Ravenclaws at the train station, and to her they seemed …content. Lily nodded to herself, Ravenclaw was just fine.  
But in her mind an image formed of her sitting in a windowless classroom for a whole week, studying, with her fellow students. She glanced around worried some of her companions might share her fate. She tried to shake off the thought. Ridiculous, she thought, there were enough windows at Hogwarts, she had just seen it from the other side of the lake.

She had talked a lot with Mary and Severus during the long train ride. Sev had told them a lot about the four houses of Hogwarts. Gryffindor was apparently known for its bravery, but Sev said that because it was supposed to be about courage all the Gryffindors were very arrogant. She had met two first-years who hoped to be Gryffindors and they seemed to fit that description. Anyway she didn't think she was brave enough to get into Gryffindor, there had to be some kind of test to determine if the students had the right abilities for the houses. Her stomach turned at the thought. Better not think about it altogether, she said to herself but couldn't get rid of the lump in her throat. No, definitely not brave enough.

Lily rested her chin in her hand while all of the first-years disembarked on the shore. Hufflepuff, that was another house Sev had told them about. He said it was for the kind souls, but she had seen his unease, so apparently he didn't think much about it either. It sounded good, though, for kind souls, Lily had thought she could fit there but then a bunch of Hufflepuffs had burst into their compartment, giggling and laughing. Lily had seen some stains on their school uniforms and very much uncombed hair. They had made Lily uneasy, they were so loud and so … Lily didn't know how to describe it but there had been so many of them, they could have never fitted into one compartment. Lily liked solitude. Not loneliness, but the occasional solitude to concentrate, to relax and most importantly to read a book. She shook her head, they may be nice but apart from the fact that Lily didn't think she would fit with them, Hufflepuff also struck her as a group of which Tuney would disapprove.

Sev had raved about Slytherin, it was supposed to be the best house, he told them. It had already produced so many great witches and wizards and had told stories about inventors of potions that could tame a werewolf or make a sleep so deep it seemed the wizard was dead. (And even if neither of them knew what a werewolf was _exactly_ , they were both quiet impressed) He told them Slytherins were ambitious and clever and disciplined and modest and Lily felt rather small in comparison to his description. She sighed, they had already entered the castle with its big doors and tall windows and wide rooms. She momentarily forgot her worries about the houses and marvelled at the beauty surrounding her. From the corner of her eyes she could see all the first-years with their mouths open and their faces lit with wonder. And when a stern and tall woman walked up to them and announced that they would be entering the Great Hall at any moment and that the sorting would begin then, she quickly remembered her anxiety.

Lily thought she would like to be sorted into Slytherin and Sev always talked about how he would be a Slytherin as if he were absolutely sure he would go there, and she'd really like staying with her best friend. However she fretted over the thought. She probably wasn't good enough either way, they seemed to be a very motivated and talented crowd. She sighed, Ravenclaw is fine.

Just as she tried to make peace with her decision that she should hope for Ravenclaw the huge doors to the next room opened and they stepped into the Great Hall.

It was beautiful, downright marvellous. Candles hovering in the air, students cheering and talking joyfully, smiling at them. At the far end she could see a long table spreading across the width of the room instead its length and at it sat many older witches and wizards who she assumed to be the teachers.

'Wonderful. Isn't it?' She asked Sev who walked just beside her and had been unusually silent.

'Mhpf' was the only thing she could pick up from his answer. Perhaps he was worried, too. Her attention was soon drawn away from her friend as Professor McGonagall (as she had introduced herself earlier) appeared with a stool and an old hat.

'To be sorted in your respective houses each of you will come forward when I call your name and sit down. I will then place the sorting hat on your heads who will announce your house.'

Phew, that was easy, Lily thought.

And then her worries started again. Slytherin? Was she good enough? Ravenclaw? Would she be happy there? Did it do any good worrying about it if the hat just choses your house _for_ you? And sooner than she could finish her thought her name was called.

'Evans, Lily'

Trying to calm herself (and her shaking legs) with deep breath she walked forward to the stool and the last thing she saw before the enormous hat was lowered over her eyes was her friend's eyes and his worrying smile.

'GRYFFINDOR'


End file.
